The present invention relates to a compound reality presentation apparatus and method for generating an image of a virtual object, superposing the image on real space, and presenting a user with the result and to storage medium.
Recently, portable and installed game machines for keeping a virtual pet are commonly marketed. The virtual pet is formed by a program code executed in the game machine, and the data used for the program code. It seems to a user as if the virtual pet were autonomously moving, and moving in response to a message from the user when the program changes an image representing the virtual pet by a predetermined condition.
On the other hand, when the user inputs a message for the virtual pet, the user transmits any message (for example, giving a stroke, striking, speaking by inputting characters or with voice) to the virtual pet using a predetermined interface (for example, a pad type interface formed by a button, a lever, etc., a keyboard, voice input microphone, etc.) connected to the game machine.
For example, when a message indicating the movement of xe2x80x98giving a strokexe2x80x99 is transmitted to the virtual pet using the pad type interface, for example, the cursor representing the user""s hand is displayed on the screen of the display on which the virtual pet is displayed, the cursor is superposed on the virtual pet, and a predetermined button is pressed, thereby performing the movement of giving a strike to the virtual pet.
As a result, the virtual pet performs a predetermined movement (for example, to be pleased, to be angry, to bark, etc.) corresponding to an input message, and the user observes the response of the pet to the movement (inputting a message) the user performs on the virtual pet. Thus, the user can enjoy the virtual communications with his or her virtual pet.
However, when a message is transmitted to a pet in virtual space for communications, the device and the method for transmitting a message indirectly function, and find difficulty in recognizing the reality of the pet.
The present invention has been developed to solve the above mentioned problems, and aims at easily recognizing the reality of the virtual object by changing the internal status of the virtual object by a predetermined movement of a predetermined body part of the user.
To attain the purpose of the present invention, for example, the compound reality presentation apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
a compound reality presentation apparatus which generates an image of a virtual object, superposes the image on real space, and presents the result to a user, including:
measurement means for measuring the position and a posture of a predetermined portion of a body of a user;
detection means for detecting a predetermined movement of the predetermined portion of the body based on the measurement result of said measurement means;
change means for changing an internal status of the virtual object into another internal status based on the detection result of said detection means; and
presentation means for presenting a user with a picture of a virtual object based on the internal status.
Furthermore, the apparatus includes:
capture means for capturing a picture of real space; and
compound means for compounding a picture of the real space obtained by the capture means and the virtual object, and generating a compound picture.
The presentation means presents the user with a compound picture generated by said compound means contains the picture of the virtual object.
Furthermore, the compound reality presentation apparatus includes management means for managing the predetermined movement of the predetermined portion of the body associated with the information about the status change of the virtual object.
The change means changes the status of the virtual object by referring to the information, which is managed by the management means, about a status change of the virtual object corresponding to the predetermined movement by the predetermined portion of the body.
Furthermore, the apparatus includes contents storage means for storing the information about contents issued by the virtual object.
The change means selects information corresponding to a state of the virtual object from the information stored in the contents storage means when the status of the virtual object is changed.
To attain the purpose of the present invention, for example, the compound reality presentation apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
a compound reality presentation apparatus which provides virtual communications with a virtual creature by presenting a user with a picture of the virtual creature, whose visible status such as appearance, movement, etc. and/or internal status are determined by a plurality of status determination parameters, and/or a picture of environment of the virtual creature both of which are superimposed on real space or its picture, comprising:
measurement means for measuring a position and a posture of a predetermined portion of a body of a user;
detection means for detecting a movement of the predetermined portion of the body based on a measurement result of said measurement means;
status change means for changing a value of a predetermined parameter in the plurality of status determination parameters based on a detection result of said detection means;
picture generation means for generating a picture of the virtual creature based on the plurality of status determination parameters; and
presentation means for presenting a user with the picture of the virtual creature superposed on the real space or a picture of the real space.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.